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West Coast (song)
|DS= |album = Ultraviolence |previous ="Brooklyn Baby" |next ="Sad Girl"}} "West Coast" is a song by Lana Del Rey. It was written by Del Rey and Rick Nowels, and produced by Dan Auerbach. Written for Del Rey's second major-label album Ultraviolence, the song served as the album's lead single and premiered on April 14, 2014 on BBC Radio 1. On April 22, 2014, an alternate version of the song with clearer vocals replaced the original single on iTunes. An official radio edit of the song exists featuring different vocals, different lyrics, and a slightly altered instrumental. Background and writing On March 23, 2014, Del Rey uploaded a video to Instagram featuring herself lip-syncing to a muted track with the caption “Down on the West Coast they got a sayin..”. On April 3, 2014, Prefixmag made a tweet to their followers encouraging them to listen to Del Rey’s recently leaked track “Meet Me in the Pale Moonlight” and claiming it was a “B-side from Ultraviolence”. Del Rey replied to the tweet four hours after explaining that she “wrote that for someone else 4 years ago …… New single is called West Coast”. The next day Del Rey uploaded a selfie to her Instagram with the caption “West Coast”. Del Rey and Rick Nowels wrote the song together while improvising with chords in about 20 minutes, however when Del Rey had finished the song, she was unsatisfied with the outcome, complaining that the track was "too structured". The song was originally going to be scrapped from the album altogether, but after meeting with Dan Auerbach, the track was reworked, being changed structurally but leaving the chords. Composition "West Coast" is in F♯/G♭ minor set in common time and is notable for its tempo change in the chorus from approximately 123 beats per minute to 50. It is a surf rock song featuring heavily layered vocals, multiple guitar tracks, a focus on percussion and a prominent lead synth in the final chorus. Del Rey sings in a breathless, sultry style which is exaggerated in the chorus. The song marks a departure from Del Rey's singles from Born to Die and Paradise, as it does not draw upon the use of orchestral strings or stylistic hip-hop beats. The radio mix is significantly shorter than the original, running at 3 minutes 47 seconds. It does not feature the slower chorus and instead has a constant BPM of 104. It features a light use of strings and slightly altered lyrics. There is no prominent lead synth towards the last chorus and the focus on the percussion is more drawn back. During the final chorus, the first half is stripped to only a distorted guitar and plucked strings for accompaniment. Cross references *The phrase "Queen of Saigon" also appears in "National Anthem" and "Live or Die" Reception The song has received universal acclaim from music critics, who commended its "atmospheric" and "hypnotic" production, as well as its maturity. Spin's Marc Hogan commented positively on the song, calling it "atmospheric".' Cult Noise called the song a "vintage classic; soft around the edges, heartbreakingly beautiful and exquisitely composed" and awarded it a 9/10. MUUMUSE described the song as "revolutionary" and " entirely different from anything that’s being offered in pop music at the moment", awarding it 5/5. A Billboard staff writer wrote that while it was less "moody" than her previous work, "West Coast" sounds "decidedly like Del Rey – airy vocals drenched in reverb and other effects plus a chorus/breakdown that shows off her vulnerability. Writing for VH1's website, Meghan O'Keefe wrote before asking readers their thoughts on the single, "Del Rey’s newest single, “West Coast,” boasts the singer’s trademark combination of wistfully romantic lyrics and hypnotic beats, but it also signals a step forward." Official versions *Album version (4:17) *Single version (4:15) *Radio mix (3:47) Commerical release Digital release ;West Coast - Single West Coast (Remix EP) ;West Coast (The Remixes) Remixes *Alex Nagshineh Remix - 6:59 *Alle Fraban Remix - 3:47 *Camo & Krooked Remix - 3:33 *Dan Heath Orchestral Remix - 4:11 *Four Tet Remix - 6:10 *Jabberwocky Remix - 3:34 *MK Area10 Remix - 5:25 *MK Remix - 5:26 *Solomun Remix - 8:07 *Solomun Remix Dub - 8:07 *Ten Ven Remix - 4:31 *The GRADES Icon Mix 4:17 *The Young Professionals Dark Remix - 5:39 *The Young Professionals Minimal Remix - 3:56 *William Carl Jr Remix - 4:29 *XYconstant Remix - 4:17 *Yavuz Ak & Fevee Remix - 6:16 *ZHU Remix - 4:24 Lyrics Original Version Radio Mix Music video Background On April 4, 2014, pictures surfaced of Del Rey shooting a music video in Los Angeles. She was on set with "Born to Die" and "Blue Jeans" star Bradley Soileau. On May 1, 2014, Del Rey posted a preview of the video on Instagram. On May 6, 2014, an unfinished version of the music video for "West Coast" was uploaded and taken down by Del Rey's label. The next day, the finished video was published. Jenn Pelly and Evan Minsker of Pitchfork Media remarked that at first, it "appears to function in small, romantic gestures—hanging near an ocean, smoking in the back of a car, much like a fashion ad in a magazine. And then, plot twist: It's Lana in flames." Description The video opens with shots of the ocean and driving in LA intercut with scenes of Del Rey and Soileau walking down a beach with friends. Del Rey starts singing as more images of LA are shown. As the chorus comes in, scenes of Del Rey and Soileau playing in the ocean fade into Del Rey in a car with tattoo artist Mark Mahoney. The shot is more glamorous and withheld, he lights her cigarette and Del Rey leans her head on his shoulder. He whispers something in her ear before the second verse where the film returns to Del Rey and Soileau on the beach in a much more casual setting. For the second chorus the scenes of Del Rey in the car with Mahoney return until a shots of Del Rey in flames appears. While in flames she wears either a red dress and or a leather jacket. Promotional image for video WEST_COAST_PROMO_PIC.jpg Photoshoot by Neil Krug WC_1_1.jpg WC 1 1 Edited.jpg| WC 1 2.jpg WC 1 2-2.jpg| WC 1 3.jpg WC 1 4.jpg WC 1 5.jpg Photoshoot by Mark Martin MM 1 1.jpg MM_1_02.jpg MM_1_05.jpg MM_1_06.jpg WC BTS.jpg MM_1_08-1.jpg| MM_1_08.jpg MM_1_07.jpg MM 1 03.jpg MM 1 04.jpg MM 09 1.png MM 09 2.png Behind the scenes 116009PCNEX_Ray67.jpg 116009PCNEX_Ray45.jpg 116009PCNEX_Ray57.jpg 116009PCNEX_Ray64.jpg 116009PCNEX_Ray18.jpg 116009PCNEX_Ray66.jpg 116009PCNEX_Ray19.jpg 116009PCNEX_Ray28.jpg 116009PCNEX_Ray31.jpg 116009PCNEX_Ray11.jpg 116009PCNEX_Ray15.jpg 116009PCNEX_Ray39.jpg West_coast_ocean_bts_4.jpg West_coast_ocean_bts_3.jpg West_coast_ocean_bts_2.jpg West_coast_ocean_bts.jpg west coast bts black and white.jpg Category:Ultraviolence songs Category:Ultraviolence singles Category:Singles Category:Songs Category:Videos Category:Music videos Category:Paradise Tour songs Category:Ultraviolence videos Category:Endless Summer Tour songs